LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

speculātor

speculātor m (genitive speculātōris, feminine speculātrīx)
Classical[spɛ.kʊˈɫaː.tɔr]Ecclesiastical[spe.kuˈlaː.tor]

Meaning

  1. spy, scout
  2. a particular scout of the Imperial legion’s commander or of a province’s governor also competent to carry out executions
  3. explorer, investigator

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Explorator · Speculator · Emissarius

Exploratores are scouts, publicly ordered to explore the state of the country or the enemy; speculatores, spies, secretly sent out to observe the condition and plans of the enemy; emissarii, secret agents, commissioned with reference to eventual measures and negotiations. (vi. 117.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativespeculātorspeculātōrēs
genitivespeculātōrisspeculātōrum
dativespeculātōrīspeculātōribus
accusativespeculātōremspeculātōrēs
ablativespeculātōrespeculātōribus
vocativespeculātorspeculātōrēs

spĕcŭlātor (also written spĭcŭl-), ōris, m. id., in milit. lang.,
I. a looker-out, spy, scout, explorer, éclaireur (syn. explorator).
I. Lit.: speculator, quem mittimus ante, ut respiciat quae volumus, Varr. L. L. 6, § 82 Müll.: repentinus, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 63, § 164; Caes. B. G. 2, 11; 5, 49 fin.; Cic. N. D. 2, 56, 140; Sall. J. 101, 1; 106, 2; Liv. 3, 40, 13; 22, 33, 1; 28, 2, 2 al.—These scouts formed a special division in each legion, Auct. B. Hisp. 13; Tac. H. 1, 25; Inscr. Orell. 1222; 3518 al.—Under the emperors they were employed as special adjutants, messengers, and body-guards of a general, Suet. Calig. 44; Tac. H. 2, 73; Suet. Aug. 74; id. Claud. 35; id. Galb. 18; id. Oth. 5; Tac. H. 1, 24 Lips.; 2, 11; 2, 33; Sen. Ira, 1, 16, 15; id. Ben. 3, 25; Vulg. Marc. 6, 27 (where the Greek has also σπεκουλάτωρ) al. —
II. Transf., in gen., a searcher, explorer, investigator, examiner: physicus, id est speculator venatorque naturae, Cic. N. D. 1, 30, 83; id. Div. in Caecil. 16, 51: ad has excipiendas voces speculator ex convivis Persei missus, Liv. 40, 7: Cleonis fuisse publice praepositos χαλαζοφύλακας, speculatores futurae grandinis, Sen. Q. N. 4, 6, 1: quo tu matutinus speculator amicae? Prop. 2, 29 (3, 27), 31: apes consumptis in proximo floribus speculatores ad pabula ulteriora mittunt, Plin. 11, 8, 8, § 19: Fabius cautā speculator mente futuri, Sil. 1, 679.

Origins

From speculor (“to watch, to observe”) + -tor (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from specula (“watchtower”), from speciō (“to watch, to observe”). Doublet of spectator.

Descendants
  • Catalanespeculador
  • Englishspeculator
  • Frenchspéculateur
  • Italianspeculatore
  • Portugueseespeculador
  • Romanianspeculator
  • Spanishespeculador
  • Jewish Palestinian Aramaicאספקלטורfrom Byzantine Greek σπεκουλάτωρ
  • Christian Palestinian Aramaicܐܣܦܩܘܠܛܘܪfrom Byzantine Greek σπεκουλάτωρ
  • Classical Syriacܐܷܣܦܽܘܩܠܴܛܪܐfrom Byzantine Greek σπεκουλάτωρ

In English words that came into English from speculātor

  • speculatorspeculātor

Quick answers

What does speculātor mean in Latin?
speculātor, a noun, means “spy, scout; explorer, investigator”.
What is the genitive of speculātor?
The genitive singular is speculātōris. speculātor is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce speculātor?
In classical Latin, [spɛ.kʊˈɫaː.tɔr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [spe.kuˈlaː.tor].